Magnaclean leaking - coming through ceiling - help!

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After 13 months in place and nobody touching it, it's decided to leak. From either the flow or return joint, I can't tell which.

It's coming through the ceiling now. It appears to slow once the heating is up to temp, I assume because the joint expands slightly when hot, but overnight it's leaked about 2 pints of water from the sealed system (so there went most of my pressure).

I've read lots of problems in the last 5 minutes of magnacleans leaking while I've been researching what I can do. At the moment, I'm in the mindset of just having the thing removed and the system put back to not having one. But I know advice will likely be otherwise.

I've no idea how to stop the leak. Can I remove the Magnaclean if I isolate it from the little isolation plastic...things...on the joint that comes with the magnaclean, and put PTFE tape around the (frankly, ridiculous) plastic thread of the magnaclean and reconnect?

It's snowing outside, it's freezing...and I have a massive leak.

Other info: system was powerflushed last year, boiler is nine years old (non-combi), pressurised system, inhibitor is (at least was, now likely lost through the leak) in the system.
 
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Shut the system down and drain enough water to be able to unscrew the nuts and remove the body. Its better not to turn the isolating valves in case they fail. Examine and clean the whole assy, including cleaning the magnet etc and reassemble using silicone or vaseline on the O rings. Refit to the isolating valves with new (if poss) washers. If the washers look serviceable then wrap a bit of ptfe round the threads of the main body before fitting back to the isolating valves and tighten just enough to make a sound seal. Repressure your system and vent air.
 
it would be useful to know for sure if it was leaking from the screw-on cap, or from one of the isolating valves, or from a compression joint at the pipework, or from a threaded connector. If you really can't tell, tie kitchen roll round each of the possible points.

Not much point trying to fix a leak when you don't know where it is.

You do know you are supposed to periodically empty the sludge out of a Magnaclean, don't you?
 
It's leaking from the connectors to the Magnaclean. Not the lid. It's just beyond the isolation valve by the looks of things, as it's got a creamy, flakey mess around the thread. If I leave the heating running, it seems to stop the leak. I assume it's because heat is making the joint expand and therefore the water can't get by, whereas when it's cool it pours out.

It's been installed a year (and two weeks), and hasn't been emptied. I was going to get it cleaned when the boiler is serviced in April.
 
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in that case you can close the service valves and unscrew the connectors to the body. Buy a roll of PTFE tape before you start.

the service valves are fairly poor quality and may dribble round the spindle after they have been opened and closed many times., but I gather yours haven't.

Silicone plumbers grease is surprisingly difficult to find, but is useful on the threads and seal of the cap.

If you have time to get some new washers to match the old ones before you put it back together, that's great/
 
in that case you can close the service valves and unscrew the connectors to the body. Buy a roll of PTFE tape before you start.

the service valves are fairly poor quality and may dribble round the spindle after they have been opened and closed many times., but I gather yours haven't.

Silicone plumbers grease is surprisingly difficult to find, but is useful on the threads and seal of the cap.

If you have time to get some new washers to match the old ones before you put it back together, that's great/

I don't know if I can get out today as the snow is pretty bad. I live rural, so nothing in walking distance. So it may need to wait until tomorrow. At the moment constantly running the heating, whilst expensive, appears to be sorting the problem. It hasn't leaked since 07:30 this morning doing this. I can only assume the connection is expanding with heat whereas, when cold, it leaked.

Your suggestion, is that good for a short term fix or as a long term fix? I'm still toying with just having the magnaclean removed and getting the pipework reconnected in it's place.

What I can't understand is if no one has touched it...why has it leaked after a year? And at no stage before?
 
if you're thinking of going to the trouble of removing it, far better to replace it with a better-quality, brass filter with decent valves than just to put new pipes in.

Adey must be kicking himself for ruining his reputation by flooding the market with such poor build quality. The things work quite well apart from the leaks.
 
I don't think we've got enough money for another one unfortunately. We've had some expensive months, and that'd be another £120 I think. Cost of new pipework is £30 (inc the labour - ignoring the call out as I'd pay that for both).

So it's either leave in place and repair the seal with the PTFE...if that'll last as a solution...or remove I think.
 
IIRC the Magnaclean side connections are just like tap connectors, so the seal should be made by the rubber washer, and a smear of silicone grease will help it. It does need to be done up properly. You might find that dismantling, cleaning and careful reassembly is all you need. If you find any other jointing compound in there, clean it off.

the plastic material is not very good and I find silicone grease does help it to screw on better.

PTFE is for sealing threaded and compression joints, which I think is not how the side connection is sealed. However if water is leaking out past the threads then until you can get a new washer it might reduce the dripping.
 
Don't turn the isolation valves in any circumstance.

Also beware if you try to remove the M/C from the valves the valves have a habit of unscrewing themselves apart rendering them useless as they then leak from the joint below the tap connection.

Once the valves are leaking or need new rubber washers I just fit a different filter altogether.....it's had it's uselful life IMO.
 
Hopefully this works...this is a (terrible) image of the problem. This is the bottom plastic connection of the Magnaclean.

View media item 55500
Sorry for poor text on image, I've got nine fractures in my hand and struggling to use computer.[/img]
 
If it is leaking from the thread then it's ******. New valves required.

Make sure it's not leaking from the rubber washer and running down to the thread.

Good luck getting the valves off with nine fractures. :LOL:
 

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